Now let's take a look at the top 10 IP camera software. The list that we will show you contains free options with very complete selection details.
However, you should keep in mind that you can get better features in the PRO versions, but this will not be a problem, because our options also offer them.
If you have a mix of IP cameras from different brands in your security camera system, an IP camera viewer app can be quite useful.
Of course, there are a few different ways to monitor all of your cameras in one place. But a single app on your Android smartphone or tabloid is arguably the most convenient.
There is a free version of NetCam Studio, but if you want something more powerful, you can buy one of its licenses. These licenses allow you to use the software for as long as you like and will update the software for up to two years after purchase.
After the two-year period, you can keep the software running normally, but if you want upgrades, you'll have to purchase them. Updates should not be necessary unless you purchase a new piece of camera hardware and require a new type of camera software.
If you opt for the free version of NetCam Studio, you can use a camera feed from two sources. There is a watermark added to the camera images and you get five days notifications. There is also community support.
Paid features include up to 64 fonts, no watermarks, 250-day notifications, and you get priority support. After the 250 days are up, you can purchase upgrades to keep the notification system running.
There used to be a free version where you would get 2 hours of free surveillance per day, but in 2019 the company removed their paid system . Will they continue like this or will they go back to paid subscriptions? Who knows, but you should get it while it's still free (if you can).
There are three types of free security camera software you can choose from. There's one for IP cameras, one for webcams, and some viewing software that people can use if they don't have something like VLC video viewer installed.
Simple icons and a clear interface are a great benefit. Determine when cameras start monitoring and configure your own layouts to suit your viewing style.
Another of the software for IP cameras that you will find among the most sought after is Xeoma. This software has many features, but most of them are locked for free users. It takes a long time to learn how to use the system, but it can be worth it if you have a lot of cameras. The paid version has all sorts of perks , from SMS texting to system health monitoring.
The lite version is the free version. It allows you to add four cameras with up to six modules in each chain. You can try and use the lite version as long as you want or get a free trial of the larger full-featured software.
The Deskshare IP Camera Viewer company has a great piece of security camera software that they repackage under many different names and then give away on their website. They do this because the software comes bundled with a lot of unwanted bloatware that the company is paid to promote.
Live recording, playback and split screen are available. You can use up to 4 cameras at a time and it works with 2200 different camera models. If your hardware allows it, you can pan, tilt, and zoom the camera.
Another of the best software for IP cameras is ontaCam. In the strictest terms, this software is not free. The developers ask you for a donation, but there is nothing that forces you to give them one. Plus, you can try out the software, and then if it turns out to be brilliant, you can always come back and donate to them.
The best thing about Agent DVR is that it is completely free because it is freeware. The sad part is that it was created by a developer who moved on to finer things and left the software hosted on some high usage servers. It is now distributed on freeware websites, which means that it is sometimes difficult to find a clean version. However, it is an excellent piece of camera software that still works for many types of cameras.
Agent DVR software enables video surveillance and recording with live streaming. You can use it with motion detection software and it still works for many different types of camera. It uses a reliable SSL algorithm for signal encryption, and it's very lightweight, which means it's not a huge drain on your device's CPU.
When people say "IP camera," they usually mean a camera that uses the Internet in some way so it can do its job. A typical CCTV camera connects a camera to a computer via a cable. Sometimes the connection is remote. This means that the camera can be in one location and still be connected to another computer that is miles away.
However, many IP cameras are installed in a home and only travel a few feet/meters to the nearest computer. In short, an IP camera does not need a local recording device because the signal can be sent over the Internet or a Wi-Fi connection.
Most people and businesses use camera software to connect their cameras to their computers or smartphones. This is usually cheaper than buying dedicated recording hardware. The camera and its software are generally used to monitor live camera feeds and record them to a hard drive or the cloud.
The viewing software does not have to be compatible with the camera itself, allowing you to use a wide variety of IP cameras with a single viewer software or application. Exactly what we want!
These days, some IP camera manufacturers enable P2P support on their cameras. This means that each device has a unique identification code (UID). You only need this code to add the camera to the camera viewer app.
Also, it will work outside your home network without any additional configuration. No IP address, port forwarding, etc. But P2P uses a third-party service, so your security and privacy are lower than when you use your own secure VPN tunnel.
While ONVIF support is sufficient to view your camera in the camera viewing application, you may want to take advantage of some additional features of your camera that do not work with ONVIF.
A good example is the PTZ controls of your ONVIF-compliant PTZ camera, such as Reolink RLC-423. Another example is the detection of alerts sent by PIR sensors on the indoor IP camera.
So what is the solution? Some of the IP camera software comes with additional presets for the most popular models. That means you can use most of the features that your native camera app has. This means win-win.
Some software can also record 24/7 to an SD card or a network device like a NAS. Recording to a separate network device is recommended, because the SD card will wear out quickly under continuous recording conditions.
For most smartphones and tablets , decoding multiple streams of 1080p or higher is too resource intensive. What usually happens cause dropped frames or blank screens.
Fortunately, any good IP camera will have a high-quality stream and a stream optimized for lower-quality mobile devices. A good viewer app will allow you to switch between high-quality and low-quality streams.
Also, the best IP camera software will automatically choose the mobile optimized stream if you are on a 3G/4G mobile network. This will also keep your data usage low.
If your IP camera supports two-way audio and you have a speaker and microphone, you can use the viewer app to chat with someone on the other end. Of course, your camera must support full duplex audio to have a natural two-way conversation. On the other hand, if your camera is like most cameras and you only have half-duplex audio, unfortunately your conversations will be walkie-talkie type.
If you are using your IP cameras as a monitor or DVR/NVR, the last thing you want is to keep your mobile phone screen on, or worse, the active viewing app on the screen at all times.
So the answer is background audio support, which keeps the app recording and sound from your cameras playing, even if you're looking at other apps or if you lock/turn off the phone screen.
Do you have a portable device? So Android Wear compatibility is great. Chromecast compatibility lets you turn your TV into a giant CCTV monitor. This is extremely fun and necessary in certain cases.
Integrating home security camera systems with home automation is the holy grail for DIY enthusiasts. What really helps is getting the viewer app to perform certain actions when triggered by the home automation system or vice versa. An API or HTTP web server running on the Android device enables such functionality.
It goes without saying that you want a stable and reliable app that works day after day. This is especially important if you're going to rely on it for baby tracking, 24/7 recording, and more.
While there are dozens of IP camera software out there, most of them are riddled with ads and other nasty things you don't want on your computer. So this is one area where you definitely get what you pay for.
In most cases, the best software is simply the software that works with your cameras and offers all the features you need. Compatibility is the first concern, but you also want it to work well with your device.
For example, if your cameras have a zoom function, but your software does not allow zooming, then that software is not the best for you. Beware, this works with motion detection, because it is a function that can be used independently.
If you are using Linux, then you want security camera software for Linux. And some people insist that their software allows them to monitor their cameras from their smartphones. The best thing about free security camera software is that you can try it out first without the risk of losing your money.
The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational purposes only and has been developed by referring to reliable sources and recommendations from experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.
